The present invention relates to a transient surface contact vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a combination aircraft and transient surface contact vehicle for transporting a load from a surface starting point to a surface end point. The present invention is another embodiment of the terrain-following transient surface contact vehicle described in a pending patent application Ser. No. 505,809, filed June 20, 1983.
Known transient contact vehicles, and, more specifically, water surface attack vehicles, cannot move rapidly, especially over choppy or high seas, and are unstable in waves.
The principal object of the invention is to provide a transient contact vehicle which moves at high speed over all kinds of water surfaces.
An object of the invention is to provide a transient contact vehicle which moves at high speed over choppy and high seas.
Another object of the invention is to provide a transient contact vehicle which retains its stability in moving over all kinds of water surfaces.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a transient contact vehicle which maintains accurate water level reference for precision hits on targets.
Another object of the invention is to provide a transient contact vehicle of simple structure which maintains constant surface-following contact with a body of water over which it moves at high speed, retains its stability and locates and impacts a target in the water with efficiency, reliability and accuracy.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an autonomous transient contact vehicle which moves at high speed over all kinds of water surfaces.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an autonomous transient contact vehicle which aerodynamically controls its motion on water in six degrees of freedom including lowering its height above the water surface along which it moves for specific military attack applications.
Another object of the invention is to provide a robotic autonomous water attack vehicle which maintains a stable, constant surface-following contact with a body of water over which it moves at high speed.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a robotic autonomous mobile mine which moves at high speed over irregular water surfaces and locates and impacts a target efficiently and accurately with accurate water level reference for a precision hit on the target.
The locomotion performance of the vehicle of the invention represents a significant departure from conventional sea-going locomotion techniques. It also profoundly increases water surface attack speeds as compared to conventional seagoing vehicles. The vehicle of the invention provides impressive open-loop "ground flight" performance in the presence of rough water surfaces.
The vehicle of the invention, designed as a disposable round, represents a new transient water surface contact vehicle class which features duplicity of aerodynamic controls usage both for self-airborne delivery and for high speed autonomous water surface attack. With modest extensions of an air vehicle configuration, in terms of equipment and cost, the virtues of both air and sea vehicle classes are obtained. That is, the vehicle can provide the long ranges generically classical of air vehicles, as well as the high endurance, such as time on station for target acquisition, attendant to water vehicles. Rocket propulsion is provided during water attack to generate the vehicle speeds necessary for aerodynamic control effectiveness. A single "transient contact" compliant strut and pontoon is utilized to interface the surface of the water. Vehicular speeds of greater than 60 Knots are achieved. These are judged fast enough to "win" against all types of naval surface vessels.